WI Friends - An Email Forward

I received this forward from a WISCONSIN FRIEND (who happens to not live in WI any more either...).

Not sure this is only for the state of Wisconsin, but maybe... ;)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Always bring the food.

FRIENDS: Will say 'hello'.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mom and Dad.

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry..
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Cry with you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, playing dominoes or cards and just being together.

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' back-ends that left you.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'I'm home!'.

FRIENDS: will visit you in the hospital when you're sick
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: will cut your grass and clean your house then come spend the night with you in the hospital and cook for you when you come home

FRIENDS: have you on speed dial
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: have your number memorized.

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Are for life.

FRIENDS: Might ignore this.
WISCONSIN FRIENDS: Will forward this to all their Wisconsin Friends and those who once lived in Wisconsin if they would enjoy it as much as I did.

guide to "what I know"

Below is a brief description of what's on my sidebar:

• what to know - profile information
• others that know - recent blog entries of family and friends
• in the know - list of blogs connected to me somehow
• they could know - Google reader list - blogs I've actually read and want to share with others
• more that know - list of missionary friends' blogs
• i thought i knew - archive list of my blog entries

Check them out so you can say you're "not the last to know"!

25 random things

this was a fad a while back on Facebook. I started the list but never finished it...

1. I love lists! I love to add items just to cross them off!


2. I enjoy reading blogs and wish I would blog more.


3. In the 8th grade I said I was going to be a writer when I grew up.


4. I prefer cold drinks to hot.


5. I love the smell of coffee, but don't drink the stuff--regardless of peer/family pressure!


6. I'm a procrastinator. I need lists, people, or time crunch to motivate me.


7. I'm a perfectionist, kind of.


8. I'm non-artistic in drawing but sometimes have a spark of creativity with decorating, cooking, and computer stuff.


9. I would love to be on a home decorating show as the organizer expert but maybe should get my own stuff organized first! It was much easier to be organized when I didn't have anything!


10. I decided I'm a "visual learner" when most of my friends in college were learning about the concept in their teaching classes.


11. I spent 3 years on Guam and have albums full of great memories.


12. I travelled to Australia, Hawaii, Japan and three other islands (Rota, Tinian and Saipan) during my Guam years.


13. I sing in a group called Deo Cantamus to broaden my horizons and keep me challenged musically.


14. I wish I had a family of my own but don't dwell on it much.


15. I spend time with my niece and nephews playing cars and barbies, coloring, and wiping up drool, etc. (Maybe that's the reason for #14...)


16. I try not to read books or watch movies that I've already read or seen but sometimes I don't remember that I've read or seen it until I'm already into the book or movie.


17. I'm learning a lot at my job. It's challenging and frustrating to be learning all the time. Just when I think I've got something down, a different something comes up that I have to learn. Isn't that life!?! EDIT: I don't seem to be learning much at work lately. Maybe I've reached a plateau or maybe it's just a slow time...


18. I'm moving May 16th to an one-bedroom apartment. I'm excited to live "on my own" again!


19. I'm going to miss cooking for Jess, but I'm sure she and Luke won't mind coming over for dinner once-in-a-while :)


20. I've never liked a movie I saw on an airplane. (Unfortunately I saw several on the 13-hour flights from the US to Japan.)

God In My Life

God shows himself everyday but are we looking?
God gives himself everyday but are we taking?
God communicates himself every day but are we listening?

I see God in the weather and in people that I meet.
I take God to work and everywhere I go.
I hear God in his Word and those who speak with His wisdom.

Do you see God in me?
Do you know God from me?
Do you hear God out of me?

road trip

Watertown, WI. I spent my formative years in the town of water. It's a nice place to visit and a fine place to live. If I won the lottery*, I would buy the nicest house in town and live there for, oh, just 6 months out of the year (obviously, the winter months would be spent somewhere warmer...). *You gotta play to win. Too bad I don't play!

So since I'm not living in Watertown anymore it's fun to visit once in a while. Last week I drove down on Thursday and spent the afternoon with my friend Sue. She snuck away from the pie shop just long enough to venture to Madison for dinner. We had fun catching up on each other's happenings. Our meal at BD's Mongolian Grill was interrupted by a power outage (for the entire East Towne area!), but since we were the only customers in the restaurant, the servers were very attentive. Good thing the grill was gas!
That evening we stopped by the rehearsal for The Music Man, a production that MBBC was putting on this coming weekend. When I was young I think we watched the classic movie every year and I loved it! It was disappointing to hear they wouldn't be performing the song Shipoopi...well, not really... My real favorite song & choreography of the movie is Marian the Librarian.

Friday I spent part of the day on Maranatha's campus visiting with former co-workers and seeing the changes around campus. Then I went to lunch with two friends, Sue and Donna. We too had a great time catching up on each of our life happenings. Donna's sister has cancer and it was sad to hear about what's going on with her, but it was good to find out how to pray more specifically for Donna and her family.

After lunch I chatted with a few more peoples on campus and then headed over to see my old OSM boss, Doug. I say "old" because he was at home recovering from shoulder surgery. This man has had more surgeries on his joints then I've had...well, I can't think of anything funny, but he's had a lot! His whole family was home so I was able to catch up with everyone! I can't believe how big the kids are getting - including Nic who will be graduating from college and getting married this summer! It was especially good to see Kris who's also had quite a challenging year as she had cancer.

My visit with the Richards family was a bit long-winded so I had to fly across town to get back to Sue's house where I was staying. She was cooking dinner for me and my Watertown family: Kurschner's, Lawson's, & Chowanec's. (That reminds me of my Guam family. Anyone remember what we named ourselves when we combined our last names to make one big new name?...hmm...Traucht, Flaming, Nixon, Thompson, Clodfelter...how'd we do that?!)

Anyway, Sue cooked a delicious meal and we all got to catch up and also be entertained by the two little munchkins, Noah and Leah. I've included a few pics from that evening below.

Click to Enlarge

On Saturday I met my Watertown family at the pie shop for breakfast before I headed back to the City of Lakes. Wait! this is a town of water, too!?!


All in all it was a great road trip! Beautiful weather. Safe driving. Wonderful fellowship. Believe it or not, there were plenty more people that I wished I would have had time to catch up with. So if you're one of the people I missed hopefully we'll connect next visit! See you soon!

concert and a surprise

You may remember that I invited you to a recent Deo Cantamus concert. The concert was a success by my standards especially considering I didn't make any noticeable blunders in my German or Latin. Yes, I said "noticeable"...

My sister Jess surprised me after the concert with these beautiful flowers. I didn't even know she was at the concert!

Jess, thanks for coming to support your favorite sis! ;)

I loved the flowers!

Next season's concerts are already on the books for October - GiVe We tHaNkS & March - aGaPE. The kids' choir will be featured in January - mAkE a JoYfUl NoIsE and will include a new addition of a youth choir.

We Sing for God!

what are you tankbull-pore, bekah?

Recently I was visiting up in "canada" and was able to take part in the Markgraf's evening family devotion time. While this was my first time experience for me, it was soon clear that Morgen and Carsten knew the routine.

After a couple of Bible stories were read, Morgen went searching for the jar for everyone to draw a name out of. We were going to pray for the person whose name we had drawn after we each named someone or something thankful for.

Morgen, Carsten, Jen, and Eric all took their turns saying who or what they were thankful for. When it was my turn, Carsten looked at me without the slightest hesitation at all and asked me, "What are you tankbull-pore, Bekah? What are you tankbull-pore?" And because I was laughing through tears at the quick, but genuine question, he quickly asked two more times, "What are you tankbull-pore?! What are you tankbull-pore?!"

Because of his sincere quest, I replied in the only way I could, "I'm thankful for you, Carsten!" And before I could add to that, and from the other side of the couch, Morgen piped up, "What about me, Bekah?!" To which I also replied, "and you, too, Morgen!" (Ethan was already in bed sleeping so he couldn't ask why he was left out.)

Here's a few pics from a recent visit to Auntie Bek's:

Click to Enlarge

Not to leave little Bubba out, here's some pics of Ethan:

Click to Enlarge

WD-40

Since I've been "too busy" to blog lately, I thought this was an appropriate entry for my "not the last to know" theme...
My dad forwarded this email from my uncle:
Subject: WD-40Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is? Don't lie and don't cheat.
WD-40. Who knew?
I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do, probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I’m impressed!
WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.Here are some other uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuffmarks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids' rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing is not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash.. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to run smoothly.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

you're invited

Deo Cantamus Choral* presents...

From "Masterworks of Choral Music" to "Great Hymns of the Faith," the Deo Cantamus** chorale and Let the Children Praise honor choir come together to present a program that is worshipful, inspirational and edifying.

Admission cost is $6.00 and tickets will be available at the door. The concert will be held in the auditorium of Fourth Baptist Church.

Fourth Baptist Church
Plymouth, MN

March 28, 2009
7:00 p.m.

*I'm singing in the chorale!

**My sister Jen is on the Deo Cantamus board of directors.

list maker's success story

I got to cross off two major things from my TO DO list, all in one weekend!

My weekend started out by leaving work on Friday and meeting my new landlord to sign the lease. Yep, you heard me: I signed a lease for my new apartment! This is exciting news considering it was about 10 days ago that I made the call to see about availability and probably two weeks ago that I started digging around the internet for leads on a new place. In case you forgot, or don't know, I have to move b/c my sister's getting married!

I didn't end up needing the internet's assistance b/c I got a sweet deal of a place with Christian landlords and neighbors to boot! In fact, it's b/c of my SIL's sister Lindsay! that I found my new place. Lindsay! shares one of the upstairs apartments with another friend from church (Elizabeth) and my hairdresser (Megan) and another church friend (Sarah) share the other upstairs apartment. Now we just need someone we know to move across the hall from me! So do we have any takers out there?! Yes? Maybe? OK, at least think about it, will ya?!

The apartment is in the same area that I currently live, so that is reassuring to me. The one-bedroom apartment is just my size. The nice living space with an open kitchen/living room area has lovely hardwood (or hardwood-like) and tiled floors. The kitchen will have a new counter top by the time I move in and there's a small bathroom and plenty of closet space (I hope). I can't wait to decorate! Oh, and there's a laundry area just next door to my apartment. I'm used to having the washer/dryer just outside my room so I'm not really giving up anything here!

So my weekend continued with an evening of celebrating by myself. Jess was coaching at a basketball tournament so she was a little preoccupied. Then on Saturday I enjoyed sleeping in until I had to go sing for four hours. Yes, 4 hours! My Deo Cantamus group has a concert the end of March so we have lots to work on (German, Latin, etc.). We did break for lunch and I joined a new(er) friend, Char, for lunch at D'amicos & Sons. D'amico's is a place I had never been. We each had the salad sampler and of course it was delicious. We didn't have time to enjoy all of it b/c we had to hurry back to our practice. A fellow singer had already given us a hard time about probably being late so we felt a little guilty, but not much!

Later this afternoon I headed to the mall to do a little bridesmaid* dress shopping. I wanted to get one attempt under my belt since this is not something I looked forward to and thought the final purchase would take several different excursions. Well, little did I know that I would find two options after trying only only four dresses! As they say in my country, "Sometimes JCP come through for you!"--right, Jess?! ;) I haven't tried on the dresses for anyone else, so I may need a couple of sister-opinions to seal the deal, but I'm just excited that I have options! :)

Tomorrow is going to be a full day as well. After church Lindsay! and I are heading to a farewell performance of Topel. Who's Topel, you say? Well, you didn't say if you are a Fiddler on the Roof fan**. As a young girl I watched Fiddler on the Roof many, many times. I don't think I could sit through the movie again (in one sitting), but I'm excited to see it live and in person! After an afternoon of singing***, guess what I'll do before our evening service? Yep, I'll be at choir practice! :)

All in all, a very successful weekend for one list maker who, this time, didn't even have to add things to her list in order to cross them off!

Edit Sunday, March 1: Lindsay! and I didn't get to attend Fiddler's as planned. When we got there the tickets were all sold out! We discussed how maybe if we had left right after church to go we would have made it in time, but then consoled ourselves with the fact that even if we had waited in line they still might have been sold out by the time we got to the front...

*Jess has given us 7 bridesmaids pretty much just one stipulation for our dresses: black.

**I'm not really a fan per se b/c I didn't know about it being Topel's farewell tour until after we made the decision to go see the performance...

***Did you know I liked singing so much?!

in boxes and such

Just a few things I like and a few things I've read lately...

• This blog post about having a physical InBox feeds my inner-organizer. I'm not even sure how I stumbled on this blog, but he's also got interesting things to say here about not checking email all day long. I'm not totally cured yet, but I like the idea and think it will help with my productivity. So for now, I'm just working on checking it less.
• This lazy guy has some investing info that is food for thought about his recent investment reality. I've learned a little about saving money and other stuff from him. You should add him to your Google Reader.
• For the first time I did my own taxes this year. I learned a little and enjoyed it a lot.
• Due to my recent interest in taxes and such, this guy at No Debt Plan has some more thoughts on saving money.
• I wish I could make bread like this lady. I've really only tried once, or maybe twice, to make yeast bread without a bread machine. It wasn't pretty so, of course, I gave up. (I can't wait to try some, warm oatmeal bread that should be done in about 2 hrs and 47 min!).

Hope you enjoyed these links! Now, what are you reading these days?

sweet valentines

My Valentines weekend was spent with three little Valentines: Niece Morgen and Nephews Carsten & Ethan.

The beloveds were dropped off around 5:15 on Valentine's eve and we enjoyed a delicious favorite: hot dogs and mac & cheese (with sides of pickles and candy). Games and movies followed the gourmet dinner and soon it was time for bed. Eagerly books were selected and beds claimed. Instructions were issued and promises made. To bed, I said. Yes, Bekah, was replied. Ethan the only one who complied. Hours later lights and heads were off. (Ok, not the heads, but you get the idea...)

In the morning everyone was early to rise. Me in hopes that Morgen & Carsten would sleep a little longer while Ethan downed a morning slushie (it was milk, really). But the heads rose up and Morgen found the lights. Quick like a flash, I doused the bright sight--my desire that at least one would stay sleeping for me would not come true. Alas all were up by 30 past 7 and we shared a replay of the previous evening's movie of choice.

All in all a good time had--especially when they left by 10 and I went back to bed...to the sweet smell of roses! (Jen brought me a lovely bouquet and gift card.)

Was your Valentine's weekend this sweet?

gala

AdvisorNet Financial 50th Annivesary Gala

My sister Jen & I attended a work function last night. The advisor networking group that my company has been associated with for 20 years is celebrating 50 years this year. In honor of their 50th Annivesary they hosted a gala, with a special video presentation and a four-course dinner at the Minneapolis Marriot Southwest. The program started after 7pm and a video presentation was mingled through out the four course dinner. The first course began around 8pm and we finished with dessert around 10pm. After the meal we took a few minutes to snap some pictures with my bosses and co-workers.

bright bling!

Just in case you missed the news flash/bright light coming from the Minnesota sky...my sister, Jess, she got engaged this past weekend!

This happened Friday night when Luke flew in from Pennsylvania to surprise Jess. Thankfully he gave me a heads-up on Wednesday so I could secret-clean the house. (Didn't really have to do it secretly, Jess wasn't home much to notice b/c of two basketball games and practices.)

So how did Luke propose, you ask? He was waiting at our condo for her to come home after she coached a high school girls basketball game. Jess's friend Liz had picked Luke up at the airport and helped him run a few errands. Then I got the text message that he had arrived safe and sound. "The Eagle has landed" would have been appropriate, but since Jess was busy with her basketball game we didn't need much code-talk. (Well, except when the sisterhood was trying to discuss over the head of one 4-year-old niece..."Who's leaving the airport, Bekah?")

Thankfully her team won :) and she only stayed through ½ time of the boys’ game. We (those of us "in" on the plan) were getting nervous that she wasn’t going to go home! It all worked out, and we didn't even have to come up with too many scenario variations to get her back to the condo. She said, "Yes!" he tells us. You can see the ring really is lovely!

Now we’ve already had a party to celebrate their engagement and the date has been set for May 30, 2009. Yep, this May! The sisterhood of Mpls has already purchased her a wedding planner and have plotted for the first dress-shopping excursion. Also, the NC-sisterhood has claimed a win: read more here. The youngest of the sisterhood is being tapped for her photography skills...

So this little event of last weekend actually changes two significant things in my life:

1. I will be moving, really soon! Jess owns the condo in which we both live and
   they've (almost for sure) decided they'll (probably) be living here... So
   apartment hunting has begun!
2. I’m going to postpone my trip to Romania scheduled for earlier in May. Tickets had not yet been purchase, but my passport was recently updated. A dear college friend, Kim, is getting married to a Romanian fellow on May 17th, but with these two weddings happening so close together and with a move on my horizon, I’m needing to plan the trip at another time. My friend is still going to live in Romania after they get married and they are planning on a state-side celebration in June. Fortunately my travel companion (another college friend of mine), Tricia, will not have to travel alone. Her sister is still planning to make the trip with her. I do plan to get to Europe sometime in my lifetime though! Maybe next year!

Congrats, Jess & Luke!

our big God

My sister-in-law sent this email:

Pastor Benson showed a dvd at our New Year's Eve service. It is called "Indescribable" by Louie Giglio. It was very convicting & such a great reminder of how BIG our God really is... Make sure you have some time to watch this. It's 45 minutes long...Pastor Benson skipped the beginning song & started right at the
speaking.

This video gives some perspective on our tiny lives:
Indescribable

gifts

I like giving gifts. I like getting them too, of course, but I really enjoy picking out gifts for a specific person and then watching them open the gift. Sounds like I'm a person who might shop all year for Christmas gifts, but for now, I'm not. Maybe some day I will be...

My secret gift-giving wish is to go from keeping a box of gifts on hand to a whole closet full! I met someone who had a candle closet; whenever she opened the closet she got a nice whiff of the delicious candles. I'd like to have a closet full of gifts, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons to reach in and grab the perfect gift for whatever the occasion: birthdays, thank you's, Christmas, or just because.

So why this infatutation with giving gifts? I'd like to say it's because I've received the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ. You know the verse "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." That's the greatest gift anyone could get and since I already have it, maybe that's why I have a desire to give to others... Well, this attitude could be goal of mine, but I'm not sure it's the total reason why I like giving.

Maybe I give because it's my "love language" - thank you, Gary Chapman. I read his book "Five Love Languages" a long time ago and don't really remember all his points, but maybe...

Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I like to give gifts! Did you know I also like surprises? My favorite surprise of all time was when I was travelling on choir tour in college and my entire family drove 10 hours to see me! They even picked up my G'ma and brought her along! What a fun memory!

Do you like giving and/or getting gifts? Have you received the greatest gift?

christmas letter 2008

Merry Christmas!

December 21, 2008

My 4-year old niece, Morgen, just asked me what the cards on my printer were for. I told her they were my Christmas cards that I needed to mail out and the paper was for a Christmas letter I needed to write. Without hesitating she said, “Well, let's do it!”

“Well,” I told her, “I'll probably work on it tomorrow.” (She really just wanted to play with the stickers...) But since tomorrow never comes and my niece is occupied for a few minutes playing Dora the Explorer Candyland with Aunt Anna, I thought maybe I should at least start the letter. I also realized a couple of weeks ago, that I didn't write a Christmas letter last year.

This past year I've enjoyed living near almost half of my immediate family. The other half is still spread across the country. My parents are in their sixth year in Nappanee, IN. Dad is the senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church and mom is working in an office at Fairmont Home. Being involved as a the assist senior chaplain for the Elkhart County Sheriff and Nappanee Police departments also keeps my dad busy. Mom is thankful to be employed since many other plants of their type have closed due to the economy.

Anna also lives in Indiana. In August she took a new job and is an officer for the Carmel City Police (near Indianapolis). Apparently this is “the” city to live in as they are one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana and one of the first cities to use stop lights. Interestingly enough it is now known for using roundabouts. (How's that for fun facts about Carmel you probably never wanted to know!). So anyway, Anna loves it there and I hope to visit real soon!

Jake and Meg are also far way in Wilmington, NC and I would also like to visit soon (especially since Wilmington is a beach/warm town). Jake is in his third year as teacher and coach for a large Christian school. Meg just found a job this past month. If you didn't know, they got married in July after a whirlwind romance of several months of dating long distance. Jess introduced them (Meg was Jess's roommate for almost three years, but Jake and Meg didn't start dating until a couple months after Jess and Meg weren't roommates anymore.) This funny little matchmaking Jess did is about to come full circle as Meg introduced Jess to her cousin, Luke, at the wedding.

Luke and Jess are now trying out long distance dating and are both learning how much flight cost to/from PA and MN. I'll keep you posted on any other plans... So besides dating Luke, Jess keeps busy coaching basketball and working in the business office at Fourth Baptist Church. She's part of my “near” family as she is my landlord and roommate. (Jess bought a two-bedroom/two-bath condo when I moved here to Minnesota.) We get along swimmingly! ;0)

Jen and Eric are in their eighth year living here in Minnesota. What a blessing to live near Morgen (4), Carsten (almost 3), & Ethan (7 mo.) as they are still growing and changing every day. It's great to see them so much more then once every six weeks or so like I did when I lived in WI. The trek to Hanover (a.k.a. “Canada”) is only about 25 min. and I get to see them at church too.

So this letter was mostly all about family, but I do have a job that I could tell you about; however, I really would like to get this letter done and in the mail before the new year. To catch up on more of me (& my family) and see to tons and tons of pictures, you'll want to visit my Facebook profile or read more of my blog.

Have a blessed New Year!

Love,
beKah

family bowling fun

More Pics

another year older

Jen made me my most-requested birthday cake, Rocky Road. Carsten helped me blow out my candles. Jess took pics. Morgen, Ethan, and Eric also helped me celebrate.

Excerpt from a money blog I read*:

"for years financial advisers and Money magazine have repeated the 8-10% historic rate of return on stocks. Can we trust this history? What were the factors that contributed to that history? When I was growing up, I remember seeing things that said, Made in USA. I don’t know if I’ve read that phrase in the last ten years. Might that impact the historical rate of return of US stocks? I think it might." Read more here.

My comments:

Funny thing is after working in the financial world for 18 months, I understood and could relate to most of the post. I've learned a lot at this job and I'm learning that I still have a lot to learn.

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